Drill-bit carrier



April 23, 1946. 5 o s ETAL' 2,398,896

DRILL-BIT CARRIER Filed Jan. 1%;1945

mm" u m .wm w M Patented Apr. 23, 1946 DRILL-BIT CARRIER John How Simmons and Henry Edward Spencer, Butte, Mont, assignors to Anaconda Copper Mining Company, a corporation of Montana Application January 17, 1945 SerialNo. 573,2 0.!)

3 Claims.

This invention relates to mining equipment and has for its object the provision of an improved carrier for drill bits having holes of the type for use in conjunction with hollow drill steel. The invention provides a drill-bit carrier of simple construction and light weight which may be carried, lowered into, or dragged through, the confined places of mines without releasing and dropping any of the bits. The invention comprises means providing an easily accessible supply of sharp bits, in the order of sizes desired, and storage for the replaced dull drill bits.

In its present preferred form, the drill-bit carrier of the invention comprises a carrier structure having a plurality of spaced upright carrier rods for receiving the drill bits which are connected at their lower ends to a base, and a top member comprising a latch for each rod, a shield for the protection of the latches, and a suitable handle. The top member is rigidly connected by means of a rod to the base and the carrier rods have a spring connection with the base which causes them to bear outwardly at the top and to be pressed into locking engagement with the latches.

These and other novel features of the invention will be better understood after considering the following discussion taken in conjunction wit the following drawing, in which:

Figs. 1 and 2 are plan and side views, respectively, of a drill-bit carrier of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a view along the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a view from below at 5-5 of Fig. 2.

The drill-bit carrier illustrated in the drawing comprises a base I in the form of an inverted dish having a hub 2 through which the tie rod 3 is inserted, and a top piece or cover 4, also in the form of an inverted dish, securely attached to the upper end of the tie rod. The handle 5 is suitably attached, as by welding, to the upper fiat surface of the top 4. The depending skirts or walls of the dish-like base and cover serve as shields to protect the operating elements thereunder and prevent the carrier becoming caught on rocks or timbers.

A plurality of circumferentially spaced upright rods 8 are securely attached at their lower ends to the base i. Each of the rods has a lower end portion in the form of a coil spring 9 with an angularly disposed upright extension Ill. The hub has a plurality of spaced holes into which the extensions H! are inserted and the lateral extensions H are pressed against the hub undersurface by means of the washer l2 and bolt I3. The upright portions of the rods 8 project through radial slots IS in the base and extendupwardly ashort distance beyond the depending lower edge 56 of the top 4.

The laterally disposed plate ll, mounted in the under portion of the cover 4, is attached at its periphery to the cover and at its center to rod 3. The plate has a plurality of circumferentially spaced latching slots l8 which coincide with cooperating slots !9 in the sides of the cover 4. The rods 8 are lon enough to project above the plate IT and just pass under the top of the cover 4. The slots l8 are hook-shaped having recesses behind the lugs 20.

The tension in the springs 9 is such that the rods normally press outwardly away from the tie rod 3, as shown in the position of the rod at the right of Fig. 3. When the rods are pushed inwardly at the top through the slots l9 and I8 and pressed behind the lugs 20, they are secured in position by the outward pressure of the coil springs.

As shown in Fig. 3, two of the rods have mounted thereover a series of drill bits D of progressively increasing size from the bottom towards the top. The drill bits may easily be removed from the rods in the proper order merely by unlatching the rod at the top and lettingit spring outwardly. The dull bits may be returned to one of the empty rods where they are easily secured for return to the place of sharpening.

The drill-bit carrier of the invention may be of light weight and compact construction. It may be carried easily by hand or lowered into, or

dragged through, difficultly accessible places in mines without the drills becoming removed and 10st. The securing parts of the carrier, such as the springs 9 and latches, are mounted under the depending sides of the inverted dish-like base and top where they are not likely to be disturbed and the carrier may, accordingly, be pulled up through shafts on a rope without danger of displacing and losing any of the drill bits.

We claim:

1. A drill-bit carrier which comprises a base in the form of an inverted dish with a central hub, a

cover in the form of an inverted dish having a laterally disposed plate therein, a tie rod attached to the hub at its lower end and to the cover at its upper end, a handle on the cover, a plurality of circumferentially spaced upright rods mounted in the base for insertion in the holes of the drill bits, spring means causing the rods to bear outwardly at their tops, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced latches in the cover into which the ends of the rods may be inserted and secured,

the spring means and latches being housed within and protected by the dished base and cover respectively.

2. A drill-bit carrier which comprises a base in the form of an inverted dish with a central hub, a cover in the form of an inverted dish having a laterally disposed plate therein, a tie rod attached to the hub at its lower end and to the cover at its upper end, a handle on the cover, a plurality of upright rods for insertion in the holes of the drill bits each having at itslower end portion a spring, means for securely fastening the rods to the base, said spring forcing each rod outwardly at its top, and a plurality of circumferentially disposed latches in the laterally disposed plate component of the cover into which the ends of the rods may be pressed and secured by reason v of the outward pressure exerted on the rods by the springs, the spring means and latches being the form of an inverted dish with a central hub, a cover in the form of an inverted dish having a laterally disposed plate therein, a tie rod attached to the hub at its lower end and to the cover at its upper end, a handle for the cover, a plurality of spaced slots in the base, a plurality of upright rods for receiving the drill bits each having a lower end portion comprising a coil spring, opening means in the hub, a lateral extension and an housed within and protected by the dished base 20 and cover respectively,

3. A drill-bit carrier which comprises a base in upward extension on the lower end of each rod, each of said rods being inserted through the slots in the base with the upright extensions inserted into the opening means in the hub, a washer on the tie rod bearing against the lateral extensions securely holding the rods to the base, and a plurality of spaced latching slots in the cover into which the ends of the rods may be inserted and secured by reason of the outward pressure exerted on the rods by the springs.

JOHN HOW SIMIWONS. HENRY EDWARD SPENCER. 

